Hospice Enables Family to Make Enduring Memories

Hospice Enables Family to Make Enduring Memories

After doctors concluded there was nothing more they could do to cure her father, Ramona Baker and her five siblings knew what to do to ensure his comfort, based on previous experience with their mother.

They voted for hospice care for dad, just as they had for mom a decade earlier.

“We wanted to give him what he wanted – to be happy and comfortable,” Ramona said.

Unlike so many people in the United States, Ramona and her family had at that point a firm understanding of what hospice care is and what it can provide. Numerous surveys and studies throughout recent years have confirmed that large swaths of the country’s population are uninformed about hospice or misinformed. Both factors clearly result in low utilization of the comprehensive, compassionate hospice care that is financially covered by federal health insurance and many private insurers, too.

Another factor, Ramona believes, is fear. “People don’t want to think of the end,” she said.

Unfortunately, low awareness, misunderstanding, and fear too often lead families to miss out on the opportunity to live every moment in comfort and on their own terms.

This is why Ramona came forward to share the story of her parents, Daniel and Naomi Moore, who raised their children in Baltimore City’s Ashburton neighborhood: To help others better understand some of the benefits that can be realized from hospice care during what is a profoundly challenging stage of life.

For both Daniel and Naomi, hospice care afforded the entire family the chance to make important, enduring, and joyful memories.

During her time in hospice, Naomi, a former elementary school teacher, was able to enjoy the company of a large group of family and friends, despite having lost the ability to speak. “She received so many loved ones you would have thought it was Christmas,” Ramona recently recalled.

The Salute

As for her father, he was able to receive a military salute ceremony for his service during the Korean War. “It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony. All six kids were there. We could not have been more proud,” Ramona said.

In both cases, hospice staff exceeded expectations, she said. “They were out-of-this-world fantastic. They went above and beyond the call of duty.”

Daniel and Naomi are survived by their six children, three grandchildren, and three great grandchildren, all of whom are flourishing, thanks in large part, Ramona says, to the positive influence of her parents.

If you or a loved one would like to learn more about what hospice has to offer, please click here or call us at 888.823.8880.